LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Leslie James SYMONDS
Service No: 424572
Born: Willow Tree NSW, 16 July 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 September 1942
Unit: No. 619 Squadron (RAF), RAF Strubby, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 619 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ND728), Bay of Biscay, 5 January 1945, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Garfield Symonds and Ida Ruth Marguerite Symonds, of Willow Tree, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Willow Tree NSW
Remembered: Panel 284, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Quirindi Town Clock and Memorial, Quirindi NSW
Remembered: University of Sydney World War II Roll of Honour, Camperdown NSW
Lancaster ND728 of 619 Squadron took off from RAF Station Strubby at 0122 hours on 5 January 1945 to attack Royan, France. Nothing further was heard of the aircraft or crew after take off. In 1948 it was established that the body of Sergeant Bartholomew had been washed ashore on the French coast and that the remaining six crew members were lost at sea.
The crew members of ND728 were:
Sergeant William Brian Bartholomew (1898551) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Ronald Brown (1595165) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Dean Gray (417746) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Howard Insley (1507972) (RAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Arrol Johnson (1595131) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Eric Andrew Morley (1581491) (RAF) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Leslie James Symonds (424572) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/38/857
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line